Invisible roller-screen.



W. M. BLISS.

INVISIBLE ROLLER SCREEN. APPLICATION FILED DEC-23,1916.

1 2% Patented Oct. 9,1917.

Svwdwtoz T/VIHCIPEKWLBhas Gnome 1 screen roll which is adapted to be extended WILLARD M. BLISS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

INVISIBLE ROLLER-SCREEN.

teasers,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 99., 191?.

Application filed December 23, 1916. Serial No. 138,611.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD BLIss, a citizen of the United States, residin at Brooklyn in the county of Kings and tate of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Invisible Roller- Screens; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to window screens, and more particularly to an invisible roller screen.

The primary object of theinvention is the provision of a casing that is designed to be attached to one side of a window casing, and has arranged therein a spring actuated across the window frame and securely attached to the opposite side thereof, the screen when released automatically rewinding itself in the casing.

Another object of the invention is to construct the device in suchamanner that it may be readily and quickly adjusted to window frames which are constructed with or 'wlthout inner blinds.

Another object' of the invention is the provision of oppositely disposed guide arms that are attached to the screen roll casing and adapted to extend across the window frame to provide a guide for the opposite edges of the screen as it is extended across the window frame.

A further object of the invention is to make these guide arms telescopic or ad ustable whereby they may be adjusted to window frames of varying widths.

A still further object of the invention is to pivotally attach these adjustable guide arms to the spring actuated screen roll casing so that each of the guide arms may be telescoped and folded up into parallel and abutting relation with the screen roll casing, suitable means being provided for-holding and retaining the guide arms in folded position.

A still further ob ect of the invention 1s to provide an-invisible roller screen of the above stated character which can be readily and quickly attached to and adjusted to fit various forms and widths of window frames.

With these and other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds, the

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. l with parts thereof being broken away.

Fig. 3Iis a side elevation of a portion of the window frame with my device attached thereto showing the screen guide arms folded up into parallel abutting relation with the screen roll casing.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the window frame showing the retaining strip attached to the inside face of the window casing. I I

Fig. 5 .is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one section of the screen roll casing.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the other section forming the screen roll casing.

Fig. 8 is a detailfrag'mentary elevational view, showing how the ends of the guide arms are attached to the retaining strip.

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the lower end portion of the retaining strip.

Similar characters of reference are used to denote like parts throughout the accompanying drawings and the following de scription.

Referring more particularly to the drawin'gs, my improved roller screen is shown attached to an ordinary window frame which comprises a window sill 1, vertical left and right sides or stiles 2 and 3 respectively.

The invention is shown to primarily consist of an elongated casing 4 which, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, consists of two sections 5 and 6. The section 5 embodies what I will term an outer side Wall7, a front wall 8 and an inner side wall 9 which is connected to the front wall 8 by a curved or rounded portion 10. A top plate 11 is securely attached to the upper ends of these .walls and is provided centrally with an aperture 12. It is also to be'noted that the rear edge of the inner side wall 9 terminates in a plane arms 32 and 33 respectively. As shown in;

spaced from the rear edge. of the top 11 for a purpose which will presently appear. lhe inner rear edge or corner of' the top 11 is formed to provide a .pair of spaced ears 13. A slot or recess 14 is formed in the rear edge of the inner. side wal1;9 between its opposite ends. a

The other section 6 of the casing 4 is shown to consist of a rear wall '15, to the lower end of which is attached the'bottom 16 formed with upstanding lugs 17 that are designed to embrace the outer surfaces of the inside wall 7 and the curved connecting portion 10, while the upper end oft-he wall 15 is designed to be-securely attached tothe rear edge of the top 11, so as to effectively and securely retainthe sections together to form a complete casing. It will also be noted that the bottom 16 is provided with an elongated aperture 18.

A spring actuated roller 19 is positioned within the casing 4, so that its opposite end trunnions engage with the apertures 12 and 18 respectively, to holdand retain the roller in position, and attached to .and wound around the roller 19 is a wire screen 20.

The inner end of the wire screen is wrapped around a rod 21 that is positioned within a longitudinally extending retaining recess 22 formed in the roller 19, while the'outer free end of the screen is securely attached between an elongated U shaped strip 23. This elongated binding strip 23 is-provided on its outer face with a laterally extending lug 24 that is designed to be engaged between a pair of ears 25 that are carried by a retaining strip 26 that is securely attached to the inner side face of the stile 3. of the window frame. A coupling pin 27 is attached to the,

retaining strip 26 by a flexible connection 28, and is adapted to be; engaged through apertures 29 in the ears25 and the lug 24 so as to hold and retain the lug in position between the ears 25 The elongated retaining strip 26 is provided at its opposite ends with laterally extending loops 30 which are designed to receive the hooks of the guide arms which will presently be described. I

Pivotally attached to the spaced cars 13 and the spaced cars 31 formed integral with the bottom 16 are a pair of adjustable guide Figs. 1, 2 and 5, each of these guide arms consists of telescoplcally mounted sections 34 and 35, the section 35 being of'substantially shaped construction, while the section 34 15 of substantially U shaped construction designed to embrace andslidably receive the section 35, the longitudinal edges of the-section 34 being rebent inwardly over the edges of the section 35- as indicated by the numeral 36, these rebent portions 36 serving as guides for the spaced vertical sides of the section 35.

The outer free end of each of the sections naaasw hook 37 that is designed to engage the loops 30 of the retaining strips to hold and retain the guide arms in extended position across the window.

The elongated binding strip 23 is provided with a finger grip 38 by which the screen 20 may be extended across the window frame, this finger grip when the screen is released being adapted to engage within the slot or recess 14 of the casing section 5 so as to prevent the spring actuajted roller 19 from rewinding the screen into the casing too far. The casing 4 in this instance isshown attached to the stile 2 through the medium of suitable hinges 39, one leaf 40 thereof being attached to the outer front face of the stile 2 by screws or other suitable fastening devices 41, while the other leaf 42 is adjust ably attached to the outer side walls 7 of the casing. by screws or other suitable fastening devices 43 that are extended through a slot 43 in the hinged section 42 and through the wall 7 and engaged with bosses 44 formed on the inner surface thereof.

From this construction it will be apparent that the casing can be quickly and readily attached to the stiles that are in the casing, the guide arms 32 and 33 extending across the casing and lockingly engaged with the retaining strip 26, so that the screen 20 may be freely extended across the window openmg whenever desired and attached to the retaming strip. When it is not desired to use the screen, the coupling pin 27 is simply removed from the lugs 25 whereupon the screen will be rewound upon the roller 19 through the medium of its spring action.

It is also to be noted that the telescopic space for transportation purposes.

In folding the uide arms, the upper guide arm 32 is fol ed downwardly against the casing, while the lower guide arm 33 is folded upwardly against the casing, and this lower guide arm is held in such folded position through the medium of a hook 45 that .is secured upon the top 11, this hook engaging the hook 37 arranged on the end of the section 35 of the guide arm.-

By vhingedly connecting the CaS1l1%'l 4 to the stile 2 through the medium of the lnges 40, it will be apparent that the casing or the entire device can be swung out of the window frame opening and around upon the front face of the stile 2, so as to be completely out of the way when not in use. However, when it is desired to use the roller screen, the casing is swung inwardly of the window frame opening and secured into the position shown in the drawings through the medium of a hook 46 attached to the back abutting relation with the casing 4-so that 'the device will occupy the smallest possible wall 15 of the casing section 6, which engages an eye 47 attached to, the inner face of the stile 2. This hook and eye will efiectively hold and retain the casing in position in orderthat the screen 20 may be effectively extended from the casing.

The device as shown in the drawings has been attached to a Window frame in which outside blinds are used, but if it should be desired to be attached to a window where there are no outside blinds but inside blinds, the leaf sections 42 of the hinges 40 are detached from the outer side wall 7 and attached to the front wall 8 by engaging the screws 43 throughthe apertures 48 which communicate with apertured bosses 49 formed on the rear surface of the front wall. By attaching the hinged section to the front wall, it-will allow of the casing at being set inwardly of the window frame a greater distance than that shown in the drawings, which willv position the device entirely Within the window frame casing.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of construction and the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider tobe the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that such changes of construction may be made when desired as are Within the scope of the appended claims.

IVhat I claim is f 1. A window screen comprising a roller screen casing, means for attachingsaid casing to a window casing, means for adjusting said casing into or out of the plane of the inside shutters of the window easing, a spring actuated screen roll disposed within the casing, extensible guide arms attached to the opposite ends of the screen roller easing, means to attach the terminal ends of said guide arms to the opposite side of the window casing and means to retain the screen fabric in extended position.

2. In a window screen, the combination with the screen roller casing having a longitudinal slot adjacent one side edge, of telescopic guide arms pivotally attached to each end of the casing at each end of said slot, each of said guide arms formed in their opposed edges with longitudinally extending channels adapted to receive the opposite side edges of the Window screen fabric when extended.

3. In a Window screen, the combination with the screen roller casing having a longitudinal slot adjacent one side edge, of telescopic guide arms pivotally attached to each end of the casing at each end of said slot, each guide arm consisting'of outer and inner sections, each outer sectionbeing substantially U-shaped in cross section and provided with inwardly rebent edges, and each inner section being U-shaped and slidably mounted within the outer section, the edges of each inner section being disposed between the outer section and the rebent edges thereof, said guide arms adapted to slidably receive the opposite side edges of the window screen fabric when extended.

4. The combination with a window casing, of a substantially square roller screen casing having threaded apertures in two of its side faces, hinges, means for attaching one leaf of each hinge to the window casing, and means for detachably connecting the other leaf of each hinge to either apertured side face of said roller screen casing whereby the roller screen casing may be adjusted into or out of the plane of the inside shutters of the window casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLARD M. BLISS. 

